Bleach: The Rewind
by evenstar lady
Summary: In the process of retrieving a portal containing remnants of Yhwach's future-modifying powers, Rukia accidentally touches the portal and falls unconscious. When she awakens, she finds herself in a Soul Society without much change. Except for a VERY big one, she is now married… to Kurosaki Ichigo. IchiRuki, Bleach universe. ON HIATUS.


**Hello. This was written today, on a sudden whim.**

 **I just returned from Japan after a one-week vacation trip, and there was a Jump anniversary fair going on this March. Needless to say, I got to feast my eyes on plenty of Bleach official merchandise and got my hands on quite a number of them. :) Most of the merchandise featured both Ichigo and Rukia on them, which was sad given the Bleach development and ending. I will not complain too much, the series has long ended despite the less-than-desirable plot and ending.  
**

 **But this anniversary fair rekindled the love for this pairing for me and when I got back, I suddenly got down to writing. I hope you will enjoy this first chapter, however short it is.**

 **DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach but I do own the plot of this fanfiction.**

* * *

 _ **xXxXx**_

 _ **BLEACH: THE REWIND**_

 ** _In the process of retrieving a portal containing remnants of Yhwach's future-modifying powers, Rukia accidentally touches the portal and falls unconscious. When she awakens, she finds herself in a Soul Society without much change. Except for a VERY big one, she is now married… to Kurosaki Ichigo. IchiRuki, Bleach universe._**

 _ **xXxXx**_

* * *

Rukia felt her heart pounding in her ears, the adrenaline picking up as her _Shunpo_ brought her closer to the edges of the Rukongai district. Her _haori_ cloak billowed behind her in the wind as she increased her speed.

 _ **Get the portal contained and bring it back to Seireitei for us to destroy.**_

Those had been the direct orders from the Captain-Commander Kyoraku Shunsui this morning. The urgent meeting had been called just hours ago, when the Captain of the Twelfth Division, Kurotsuchi Mayuri had detected the sudden appearance of a portal containing what was suspected to be Yhwach's _reiatsu_ on the outskirts of Rukongai.

Yhwach, a name so infamous in Soul Society for it had been this name that had almost brought the Shinigami and all the world to its end. The leader of the Vandenreich and the murderer of countless Shinigami and the Soul King himself – ultimately destroyed by the swing of Kurosaki Ichigo's blade many years ago. The time taken to recuperate had been long and arduous with the loss of many a beloved, but Soul Society had finally been reinstated to its glory.

Until the uneasy news had been unveiled today by Kurotsuchi.

The eccentric scientist had placed many pods over Soul Society after the blood war, pods designed to recognize foreign _reiatsu_ for better preparation against enemy attacks in future. One of the _reiatsu_ programmed into the pods was that of Yhwach, and an ominous recognition blip was detected in Rukongai today at six forty-five in the morning.

"It does make sense," Kurotsuchi had spoken as he addressed the Captains present in the meeting. "Even after death, he would have waited this long for us to let our guard down. After all, The Almighty is the power to transform future. Reality can be altered to one where he was not eliminated."

"But that is the point, he _was_ eliminated." Captain Soi Fon had argued. "Or did we not see Kurosaki Ichigo cut him down?"

"Then what is this thing here?" Kurotsuchi had lifted the electronic pad on which a red dot now blinked rapidly. "We do not know for certain if he truly died. He could have sealed himself away, just like the last time." Kurotsuchi clucked his tongue. "And the portal location is strategic. In Rukongai, where the soul population is the densest and optimal for reabsorption."

The entire hall had fallen silent at the prospect. But the Captain Commander had clear commands.

"Get the portal contained and bring it back to Seireitei for us to destroy. Five divisions are to be dispatched immediately. Exercise caution, and do not handle the portal on contact. Seal it within the special container that Kurotsuchi-Taichou has kindly provided us with. Most importantly… do not let it get away."

The thirteenth division was one of the divisions sent on the retrieval mission, as well as the sixth. Rukia glanced sideways at her husband, Abarai Renji, the lieutenant of the Sixth Division.

"What? You worried?" The red-haired Shinigami caught her eye and grinned at her. "Don't worry, we will be back for dinner before you know it."

Rukia had to smile. "In and out."

"Mmm, sounds real suggestive the way you put it." Renji winked, and then had to duck to avoid a blow from his wife.

"In case you forgot, Nii-sama is on this mission as well… so keep those jokes away!"

Renji grinned. "But seriously though, if Yhwach comes out of that portal, you just freeze his ass off along with the rest of us. Just remember to defrost us after that."

Just then, they arrived at the outskirts of the Rukongai, bordered by the huge dark forest. The Shinigami immediately regrouped, and the smiles on both husband and wife were replaced by serious expressions of caution.

It was time for work.

The five divisions entered at the same time, from five different designated directions. It wasn't long before they found the source of the blipping on Kurotsuchi Mayuri's monitor.

Rukia felt it before she saw it. The portal was a black orb, shining and crackling with silver sparks and floating just a meter above the forest floor. It was small, small enough to hold in the palm of one's hand.

" _Approach_." Kuchiki Byakuya's voice was firm. The Shinigami fanned out around the orb and slowly advanced, carrying the silver specialized container in which to house the portal.

What happened next was a blur of movement and noise. As the Shinigami took their next step, the orb crackled once and let out a hiss of energy as it rocketed forward. There were shouts as the Shinigami attempted to cover it with the container but the orb merely flew out of harm's way.

"Get it!"

A seated officer drew his Zanpakuto on the advancing orb and swung it down. The blade found its target and there was a sharp clinking sound, almost as if the orb was made of steel as well. Immediately, the orb morphed into a liquid-like consistency, latching on the sword like black glue.

"AHHH!" The officer shouted, his voice filled with pain as he dropped the sword, now smoking against the ground. The officer fell back, his sword hand badly burnt. The orb floated ominously before the injured Shinigami.

"Tccchh!" Rukia jumped in front of the fallen officer, swinging Sode no Shirayuki defensively in front of her. The orb hovered before them, motionless for a bit, almost as if deciding the next course of action.

But before Rukia could do anything, it abruptly swung forward… only to hit a rushing shield of pink.

" _Nii-sama!_ " Rukia stood behind the petals of Senbonzakura, as her brother stood several meters away.

" _Now_ , Rukia." Byakuya's voice was emotionless. Senbonzakura immediately enveloped the orb in swirling petals, allowing no escape.

Rukia nodded. " _Some no Mai, Tsukishiro_!" She slashed the air with her Zanpakuto and immediately an enormous column of ice rose up from the ground where the orb was, encasing it completely in frost.

There were shouts of victory from the Shinigami as the tower of ice stood firm and then slowly began to shatter. Rukia watched carefully, her senses wary. The Shinigami were on standby, ready to capture the orb should it still be viable. If it shatters along with the ice, so be it.

'At least it will be destroyed either way,' Rukia thought.

But there was something wrong. As the ice pillar collapsed, there was a sudden vibration from within the falling structure. Rukia readied Sode no Shirayuki but it was too late. There was a blinding flash of light and then the black orb was rushing toward her in a gust of wind.

There was nothing Rukia could do. Her hand reached out instinctively to capture the orb in her fingers, to stop it. There was a crackling warmth through her palm as she touched the orb and then it shot straight to her heart, encased in her right hand.

Rukia felt her breath leave her, Renji was shouting her name. There was no pain, her soul felt as if it had been lifted right out of her body.

She tumbled to the ground.

The blackness followed soon after.

xXxXx

* * *

 _Rukia…_

"Rukia?"

A familiar voice was calling her name. Rukia blinked slightly, her eyes slowly fluttering open. Where am I?

"Rukia?" That voice, again.

A face slowly came into view, the person was leaning close over her. Rukia focused on a headful of bright orange hair and a pair of concerned brown eyes.

"I… Ichigo?" Rukia muttered softly and then in surprise, as her eyes fully opened. She found herself lying on a bed, Ichigo sitting by her bedside. "What are you doing here?"

"Where else would I be?" His voice was somehow uncharacteristically soft.

Rukia blinked slightly at his strange answer. But her mind was still fuzzy, this bed certainly wasn't hers and neither was the room she was sleeping in. The room was foreign and large, larger than the one she had been using for the last ten years now. It was white and spacious, with one polished round table in the center. Two large wardrobes sat against the wall across the bed and Rukia noted the many bunny-like doodles and stickers covering the doors of one wardrobe, which spread to almost half of the other wardrobe doors.

Rukia frowned.

Those were definitely her drawings, she could tell. But she did not remember drawing them, nor did she remember the wardrobe. Even the bed she had been sleeping on was not the traditional _tatami_ bed, it was one of the modern king-sized beds commonly found in the real world. Where was she, whose place was this?

"How are you feeling?" Ichigo's voice cut through her confused thoughts.

Rukia whirled back to see him watching her with a careful expression. She had almost forgotten he was there with her.

"I am alright," Rukia answered, noting how dry and parched her throat was. "How long was I out?"

"Almost twenty hours." Ichigo replied, but then he smirked. "You bloody gave me a fright back then, I thought you would never wake up."

Rukia did not miss his shoulders subtly heaving down in relief.

She shifted slightly, trying to make sense of the foreign surroundings and the unexpected presence of Kurosaki Ichigo. It had been some time since she had last seen him. They had remained in contact, but their separate commitments and lives had left little time for meetings. His spiky orange hair was a bit longer now, but his face was ever that same teenage boy she had met many years ago on a fateful night in Karakura town. Today, he was wearing his dark Shinigami robes and… Rukia's eyes trailed over his shoulders to rest on the strange white cloak hanging off his right shoulder.

A Captain's _haori_.

"What is that?" Rukia's voice came out sounding confused.

"Oh, I haven't changed from last night." Ichigo shrugged. "What with you falling flat on your head during the mission yesterday and all that."

His answer further added to her confusion, but then she heard the last part of his statement. "I didn't hit my head!" Rukia protested, suddenly remembering. "Ichigo, do you remember Yhwach's The Almighty? The ultimate power of The Almighty was the power to change the future, and the Twelfth Division picked up traces of a portal made up of Yhwach's _reiatsu_ appearing in a soul-dense area of the Rukongai! That was why I was sent on the mission alongside Renji to retrieve and destroy it. I saw the portal, Ichigo…" Rukia frowned. "It was black and throbbing and small and I…"

Rukia gasped as her right hand involuntarily flexed. "I… grabbed it." The Shinigami recalled.

Ichigo watched her silently in concern. "Rukia…"

"Where is it?" Rukia asked.

"Where is what?" Ichigo frowned.

"The… that _thing_. The portal. That is why you were called here to Soul Society, weren't you?"

"Rukia, I think you need to-"

"Where is Renji?"

"I don't know." Ichigo shook his head, his hand lifting up to scratch the back of it.

"Where… where is Ichika?" Rukia's wide eyes caught on Ichigo's.

His reaction bewildered her already confused thoughts. "Who's that?" Ichigo frowned, his brows furrowed together in a barely-disguised expression of concern. "Rukia, are you sure you are alright?"

"Ichika!" Rukia spoke again, her voice hoarse but this time, with more force. Was this some sort of joke? Why was Ichigo feigning ignorance when it came to one of the most important people in Rukia's life?

"Rukia…" Ichigo began slowly, as if she could not hear properly somehow. "I think you are in shock. I am going to call Isane here and then we can-

"MY DAUGHTER!" Rukia thundered, despite her head now starting to spin. "Ichika!"

Ichigo's shocked expression met her outburst. "Your… _what_?" His voice was one of disbelief. His expression immediately turned to one of concern and anxiety. "You lie down." He gritted out. "I am going to get Isane now-

"No! I need to find-" Rukia threw off the covers and started to swing her legs out. The action immediately caused a shot of dizzying pain to her skull and she reeled back. "OUCH!"

"Rukia, damn it!" Ichigo held her back. "What the hell are you trying to do?"

"I… cannot… Renji… Ichika…" Rukia's voice was weak, her head was swimming. Ichigo's bright orange hair was already blurring, he was shouting something at her but she could not hear the words.

The blackness swallowed her whole.

xXxXx

* * *

"Hmm?" Rukia stirred slightly. She breathed in for a bit and then slowly rose from the bed. She was in the same room again, on the same bed.

Ichigo was not around. But someone else was, and this figure was familiar as well.

"Kuchiki-Taichou." The Fourth Division Captain, Isane Kotetsu smiled gently at Rukia as she approached her bedside. "You are awake."

"Hai." Rukia smiled slightly, as Isane offered her a cup of water.

"How are you feeling?" Isane watched Rukia as she took a long drink.

 _Why does everyone ask me that?_ "I am fine, Isane-Taichou. I think I… blacked out just now."

"Do not worry, it is but a normal occurrence when you have had a fall."

"No, I didn't. I tried to tell Ichigo that but he wouldn't listen." Rukia shook her head. "I was on a mission to the Rukongai yesterday, remember? The Captain-Commander had called for a mission to retriev _e_ the portal, you were there during the meeting."

"I see." Isane nodded, but years from attending medical examinations told Rukia that the Captain did not believe her. What was going on?

"Rukia-san." Isane gently used her first name. "I know it will be somewhat difficult to believe but you had a major concussion during your fall yesterday." Isane smiled. "You are experiencing a form of amnesia, and a rare one at that. We call it _confabulation_ , and it is a rare form of memory loss in which your memories appear somehow altered." Isane patted Rukia's arm. "Do not worry, please have plenty of rest and try to relax. Things will appear very different and disjointed, but please call on us at any time as needed. We will answer all your questions."

"You don't understand." Rukia shook her head again stubbornly. "I have a daughter and I have not seen her at all since I have regained consciousness!" Her voice choked slightly. "I need to see my husband." Rukia felt her heartbeat quicken. That's it, Renji would put a stop to this. Only he would know, he would understand her.

Isane smiled kindly. "Your husband was by your bedside this morning, he never left since last night."

Rukia felt her heart still.

 _ **Your husband was by your bedside this morning.**_

 _ **He never left since last night.**_

 _It… cannot… be._

Isane's smile was almost pitying. "Kurosaki-Taichou took leave of his duties today to look after you."

xXxXx

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 **I hope you enjoyed this little chapter as much as I did writing it.**

 **Do leave me feedback and let me know what you think.**

 **Cheers. :)  
**


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